Machine for opening signatures.



E. M. ROLLER.

MACHINE FOR OPENING SIGNATURES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31,1913. 1,1 12,659.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

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E. M. ROLLER.

MACHINE FOR OPENING SIGNATURES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1913.

Patented 001). 6, 1914.

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E. M. ROLLER.

MACHINE FOR OPENING SIGNATURES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1913.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

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E. M. ROLLER. MACHINE FOR OPENING SIGNATURES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1913.

1,1 12,659. Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

4 SHIBBTSSHEET 4.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0., PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

EPI-IRAIM M. ROLLER, OF PENDLETON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO ROLLER ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, A. CORPORATION.

IL'ACI-IINE FOR OPENING SIGNATURES.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Ernuanr M. ROLLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pendleton, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Opening Signatures, of which the following is a specification.

Many printed publications, having from a quarter to three-quarters or amillion of circulation, require extremely rapid and high priced presses, wherein the printing, folding and stapling are all performed while the paper is passing through the press, to enable the printed publications to be run in a short period of time and to be mailed on a given date. There are a large number of weekly and monthly publications, those devoted to fraternal organizations, scientific and agricultural pursuits which have a circulation that extends into many thousands which are printed and folded on presses but are not stapled, so that after these printed publications and signatures have been printed they must be subsequently opened in the middle and then fed into a stapling machine. of any approved type, to be stapled, to bind the several signatures together. The labor necessary to open these signatures within the allotted short period of time, in order that the printed publications may be mailed on a set date, demands the employment of quite a number of persons. This invention relates to a machine adapted to mechanically open these signatures in the middle with accuracy and despatch, and to arrange them to be subsequently fed into a stapling machine.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character wherein the opening of the folded signatures at the center and arranging them for the stapling machine may be speedily and accurately accomplished, thereby dispensing with the labor of many persons now required for that purpose.

There are other features and advantages attained by the use of this invention which will more fully appear from the following description and claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which similar numerals of reference indicate similar partsFigure 1 is a side elevation of my machine for opening signatures. Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 31, 1913.

Serial No. 745,370.

transverse sectional view on the line 55 in.

Fig. 3. F 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view in side elevation of the upper portion of the basket for clamping and hold ing the signatures. Fig. 7 is a cross section on the line 7-7 in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail view showing the signature initially clamped within the basket. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 except that it shows the pressure-bar in its lowest position whereby pressure is applied to the signature and showing the latter divided at the middle. Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the upper portion of the machine, looking toward the right from the dotted line 10-10. in Fig. 6.. Fig. 11 is a cross section on the line 1111 in Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawings, the frame comprises the vertical members 10, 11 and 12, and the horizontal members 13 and 14. Mounted on the upperportion of the frame between the upright frame members 11 and 12 are a pair of vertically disposed clamping jaws 15 and 16 for clamping the signatures. The jaw 16 is pivoted at 17 to the vertical blocks 18, the latter being secured to the cross bars 19 which are suitably anchored at their ends to the upright members 11 and 12 of the frame. The jaw 15 is pivoted at 20 to the blocks 18, and when these two jaws stand in their open position, as shown in Fig. 5, a pocket A is formed for the reception of the signature 22, indicated by means of the dotted lines in Fig. 7. The depth of the pocket A, between the jaws 15 and '16, is controlled by means of a plurality of fingers 24 which are arranged at intervals along the rock-shaft 25 arranged upon the upper surface of the lower cross bar 19. By rocking the shaft- 25 the fingers 24 may be elevated and lowered, thereby arranging the signature within the pocket A so as to allow its upper edge to project the desired distance above Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

reciprocating the upper edges of the aws 15 and 16. The signatures 22 are deposited sin ly in successive order either manually or mechanically into pocket A. The jaws 15 and 16 are closed in a uniform manner by means of a friction roller 28 rolling along the edge of the cam-block 30 secured to the frame of the machine. A spring 31 normally holds the jaws 15 and 16 apart when the pressure of the friction roller 28 is removed. The roller 28 is reciprocated vertically by means of an eccentric 83 mounted on the main drive shaft 34:. A connecting rod 35 extends from the housing surrounding the eccentric 33 and connects with the housing for the roller 28. lVhen the roller 28 is moved upward from the position shown in Fig. 7 the irregular surface of the camblock 30 will force said roller toward the left. Roller 28 is mounted on a shaft 28 and the latter is provided at each end with a friction wheel 28", which rides against the edges of the upright of the jaw 16 causing said jaw to be moved over against the jaw 15. The lower end of the aw 15 is connected to the jaw 16 by means of a connecting bar 32 so that a slight movement toward the left is imparted to the lower end of the jaw member 15 below its pivot 20, thereby moving the portion of the aw above said pivot 20 a sufficient distance to properly bring the signature 22 into vertical position. The signature is now tightly clamped between the jaws 15 and 16. See Fig. 8. The signature when tightly clamped between the jaws 15 and 16 stands in ver tical alinement beneath the pressureblock flO. The pressure-block 40 is supported in a vertical bracket 41, attached to the frame so that the movement of said block can be controlled and maintained, and said block 40 is normally held in its uppermost posi tion by means of a spring as. A vertically disposed actuating rod 15 extends upwardly along the side member 11 of the machine and is provided on its upper end with a finger 46. The lower end of the actuating rod 45 connects with the eccentric 18 arranged on the main shaft 34; At each revolution of the shaft 34: the finger 16 comes into contact with the upper end of the spindle that carries the pressure-block 10, causing said pressure-block to be moved downwardly into contact with the folded edge of the signature, and slightly forcing the paper, betweenthe edge of the signature and the clamping jaws 15 and 16, downwardly. As the signature is held firmly between the aws 15 and 16, the signature is caused to spread laterally and be divided into two equal parts, and the opening thus created by the divided portions represents the center of the signature, all of which is clearly illustrated in Fig. 9. lVhile the signature is being held in a depressed position by the pressure-block d0, as indicated in Fig. 9 of the drawings, 1 provide means for introducing a needle 50 int-o the central opening formed by the divided portions of the signature. he jaws 15 and 16 release the signature the latter is left suspended upon the needle 50 so that subsequent handling of said signature may be easily and readily effected.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings,

the needle 50 is arranged in a line extending through the longitudinal axis of the opening caused by dividing the signatures at the centers. As the point of the needle 50 enters the opening formed by the divided portions of the signature the jaws 15 and 16 relax, permitting free forward travel of the needle through the signature, and at the conclusion of the forward travel of said needle 50 the signature is left suspended on said needle.

llxtending transversely past one end of the jaws 15 and 16 is a stop 18 which acts as a guide for uniformly arranging the signatures in the basket 1%... This stop is shown in Fig. 7.

To insure a positive removal of the signatures from the basket A by the needle 50, I provide a disappearing pin 51 which is projected above the upper edge of the needle when the latter has reached the limit of its forward travel, and the pin 51 is moved back into the needle, to leave the surface of the needle free and unobstructed to enable the needle to be easily inser ed into the next signature, when the needle has reached the limit of its backward travel. The raising and lowering of the pin 51 is accomplished by a sliding bar which is let into a suitable slot cut in the underside of the needle 50, and said sliding bar is permitted to more longitudinally by means of suitable slots 53 and transverse pins 51. The rear end of the sliding bar 52 is provided with a projecting lug 56 which comes into contact with the stationary lugs 57 and 58 arranged near the ends of the travel of said needle. Hence, when the needle 50 reaches the limit of its forward travel the lug 56 will contact the stationary lug 59 causing the sliding bar to be moved backward, and by means of the wedge 59 formed on the forward end of the sliding bar 52 the pin 51 is projected above the upper surface of the needle 50; and on the reverse movement of the needle 50 the lug 56 comes into contact with the stationary lug 57 causing the sliding bar 52 to be moved forward whereby the pin 51 is lowered. As before stated, when the needle 50 is extended through the signature and has reached the limit of its forward travel the pin 51 will be extended above the upper edge of the needle 50 and will contact the edge of the signature and force the same to move positively with the needle 50.

When

lVhen the needle moves toward the left, as when removing the signatures from the basket A, as shown in Fig. 3, it m ves between the converging edges of the plates which are arranged on the members 13 of the frame and are inclined to represent an inverted V. These plates form a saddle upon which the signatures are placed astride when removed from the pocket A by the needle 50. Each return movement of the needle 50 deposits another signature astride the saddle, causing the previously deposited signature to be moved along said saddle toward the left, and when the signatures reach the end of said saddle they are moved upon the feeding mechanism of the stapling machine, of any approved type. The needle 50 is provided at its rear end with a bracket 63 wnich is secured to an operating cord 64, the said cord extending parallel with the needle 50 between the sheaves 65 and 66. The cues of the cord 64: pass around the sheaves 67 and 6S and thence downwardly and are attached to the frame of the machine at 59 and 7 0. Situated along the cord 6% between the sheaves 67 and 68 and the points of attachment 69 and 70 are two groups of sheaves 71 and 72. A sliding frame 75 is adapted to slide transversely of the cord 6% between the sheaves 67 and 68 and the points of attachment 69 and 70, and this sliding frame 75 is provided with the sheaves 77 and 78 which are arranged in two groups, and the sheaves carried by said sliding frame are arranged so as to pass bet veen the groups of sheaves 71 and 72. hen the sliding frame 75 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow on Fig. 3, the end cord 6% will straighten out between the sheave 68 and the point of attachment 70, the slack being taken up by the sheaves 76 on the sliding frame, pulling the cord 61 out of alinement over the sheave 71 and between the sheave 67 and the point of attachment 69. By this construction the cord M will straighten out on one side and the slack that would otherwise result is taken up on the other side. A. similar result is secured when the sliding frame 75 is moved in the reverse direction. With this construction a small amount of travel on the part of the frame 75 is so multiplied, by the winding back and forth of the cord 64: around the stationary sheaves and the sheaves on the sliding frame 75, that, with a compact mechanism located within the saddle, the needle 50 may be extended the desired distance for the opening and removal of the signatures from the basket A. The frame 75 is reciprocated by means of a suitable bellcrank 80 and a connecting rod 81 which extends downwardly and connects with the eccentric 83 mounted on the main shaft Having thus fully described my said invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A machine for partially opening folded signatures comprising clamping aws, means to support within said jaws a signature with its folded ed e parallel to and projecting freely above said jaws, and means for applying pressure to the folded edge to cause the signature to spread laterally and open in the center.

2. A machine for partially opening folded signatures comprising clamping jaws, means to support within said jaws a signature with its folded edge parallel to and projecting freely above said jaws, means for moving said jaws against the sides of the signature, and means for applying pressure to the folded edge to cause the signature above the jaws to spread laterally and open in the center.

3. A machine for partially opening folded signatures comp ising clamping jaws, means to support within said jaws a signature with its folded edge parallel to and projecting freely beyond said jaws, means for moving said jaws against the sides of the signature, means for applying pressure to the folded edge to cause the signature beyond the jaws to spread laterally and open in the center, and means for normally holding the clamping jaws apart.

4. A machine for partially opening folded signatures comprising clamping jaws for clamping a signature parallel with and adj acent to its folded edge, means for moving said clamping jaws against the signature, a stop arranged transversely of said clamping jaws to cause each signature to register with and be uniformly clamped by said clamping jaws, and means for applying pressure to the folded edge of the signature to cause said signature along its folded edge to spread laterally and open in the center.

5. A machine for partially opening folded signatures comprising clamping jaws, means to support within said jaws a signature with its folded edge parallel to and projecting freely beyond said aws, means for applying pressure to the folded edge to cause the signature beyond the jaws to spread laterally and open at the center, means movably mounted to enter the central opening for successively removing each signature longitudinally when the jaws are opened, and means for successively receiving the signatures as they are removed from between the clamping jaws.

6. A machine for partially opening folded signatures comprising clamping jaws, means to support within said jaws a signature with its folded edge projecting freely above said jaws, means for moving the clamping jaws against the sides of the signature, means for applying pressure to the folded edge of the signature to cause the signature to spread laterally, a reciprocating needle adapted to he introduced longitudinally into the cent al opening and to receive the signature when the clamping jaws are opened, lneans for imparting a reciprocating movement to said needle, and means to receive the signature from the needle when the latter is moved into its retracted position.

'5, A machine for partially opening folded signatures comprising clamping jaws, means to support within said jaws a signature with its folded edge projecting freely above said jaws, means for moving the clamping aws against the sides of the signature, means for applying pressure to the folded edge of the signature to cause the signature to spread laterally, a reciprocating needle adapted to be projected longitudinally into the central opening and support the signature when the clamping jaws are opened, means for imparting a reciprocating movement to said needle, means for opening the clamping jaws, and a saddle to receive the signature from the needle when the latter is moved into its retracted position.

in witness whereof, I, have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this, sixteenth day of November, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twelve.

nPnnaiM M. ROLLER. [1 8.

Witnesses:

GEORGE O. HILL, F. N. l VoEnNnR.

fiopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

